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(No Model.)

P. J. KEARNEY. MUSIC HOLDER.

No, 339,897. Patented Apr. 13,1886.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

PATRICK J. KEARNEY, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO HIM- SELF AND TIMOTHY V. MURRAY, OF SAME PLACE.

MUSIC-HOLDER.

SIFECATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 339,897, dated April 13, 1886.

Application filed May 29, 1885. Serial No. 167,093. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, PATRICK J. KEARNEY. of Boston, in the county of Suffolk, State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvement in Music-Holders, of

which the following is a description sufficiently full, clear, and exact to enable any person skilled in the artor science to which said invention appertains to make and use the same,

IO reference beinghad to the accompanying d rawings, forming part of this specification, in which Figure 1 is afront elevation of my improved music-holder, represented as not in use; and

I5 Fig. 2 is a like View, representing it in use.

Like letters of reference indicate corre sponding parts in both the figures of the drawings.

My invention relates to that class of musicholders which are adapted to turn the music; and it consists in a novel construction and arrangement of the parts, as hereinafter more fully set forth and claimed, by which a more effective and otherwise desirable article of this character is produced than is now in ordinary use.

The nature and operation of the improvement will be readily understood by all conversant with such matters from the 'l'ollowing explanation.

In the drawings, A represents the body of the holder, and B the clamp. The body is composed of wood, being preferably about threefourths of an inch in thickness and rectangular in form, with curved or ornamental edges; but it may be composed of any suitable materials and made of any suitable form. The clamp is also composed of wood, being about one-half as thick as the body A, and

0 slightly longer than the length of an ordinary sheet of music measured from top to bottom. The clamp may also be composed of any other suitable materials and be made in any suitable form. An excavation is made on the front side of the left-hand portion of the body corresponding in area with the area of the clamp B, and in depth with the thickness of said clamp, which is fitted to slide laterally therein on the ways as, the face of the clamp and front side of body being flush when in use. A semicircular opening, 11, is out in the outer edge of the clamp B, and pivoted at '6 there is cain-lever,C, adapted to engage said clamp and force it against the shoulder or rabbet, f, at the center of the body A, but instead of the lever any other suitable device for performing the same functions may be used. A rod, on, mounted in the brackets i, is vertically arranged at the center of the holder above the clamp B, and jourualed on said rod to swing laterally there are three arms, D E H, each of said arms being provided at its outer end with a rigid vertically-arranged rod, 71, carrying at its lower end a springclamp, J, the clamps being attached to the rods by short elastic cordsd. The arms may, however, be pivoted to the body in any other suitable manner. An elastic strap or spring, K, has one of its ends secured at g to the central portion of the arm D, its opposite end bein )assed throu h a hole or slot L in the body A, and adjustably secured on the back of said body by a clamp, (not shown,)or in any suitable manner, each of the arms E H being provided with corresponding straps or springs, K, arranged in a similar manner, said springs acting contractively and constantly to draw said arms over onto the left-hand side of the body. A screw-eye, l, is inserted in the righthand side of the body A, opposite each of the arms I) E H, and attached to the outer or free end of each of said arms there is a cord, M, said cords passing, respectively, through the eyes Z, and also through eyes b at the lower end of said body, and being pro- 85 Vided with weights N R Q. The clamps J may be ordinary spring-clan'ips, similar to the stationary clamps employed for desk use, or to the spring-clamps used on certain kinds of stocking-supporters for grasping the top of 0 the stocking, being adapted to be opened by compressing the tail pieces or extensions of the jaws, and to close by means of a spring disposed between said extensions; but any other suitable clamp adapted to be readily 5 attached to the sheet of music and detached therefrom may be employed, if preferred.

The object of the elastic cords d is to enable the inertia of the sheet of music to be overcome gradually when the springs K are released, ICC

and thus prevent tearing the sheet, said cords stretching as the sheet commences to move from right to left, and contracting to'their normal condition as the sheet reaches the left-hand side of the holder; but instead of thecords d any other suitable springs may be employed for the same purpose.

In the use of myimprovement the holder is placed in a proper position on the music-rack of the piano or organ, or on a music-stand. The leaves or sheets of music are then arranged in proper numerical order and their backs or inner edges inserted in the space It, between the clamp B and shoulder f, after which the lever O is turned to force said clamp against the sheets and firmly secure them. Theclamps J are then attached to the tops or upper edges. of the sheets, the clamp of the arm H being attached to the first sheet, that on the arm E to the second sheet, and so on in regular succession through the series, it being understood that any required number of arms provided with clamps are to be used, although but three are shown in the drawings. The arms are then all swung to the right as far as possible, closing the sheets of music, stretching the straps K, and permitting the weights N R Q to drop to their fullest extent, as shown in Fig. 1. The sheets being closed and the arms all swung to the right, as described, it, now, the player or person using the holder slightly but quickly raises the weight N, the arm H being thus released, its spring K will cause said arm to be swung swiftly to the left, carrying with it or turning the leaf or sheet of the music which is attached to its clamp J, after which in due time the weight R is raised to turn the second page, the weight Q to turn the third page, and so on through the series.

In Fig. 2 the first and second sheets of the music are represented as turned, the weights N R, corresponding therewith, being raised, and the arms E H swung to theleft; but the third page of the music is represented as unturned, its corresponding weight, Q, being lowered and arm D turned to the right. The

weights act as counter-lmlances to the springs or elastic straps K, and should be so arranged as to enable them to be conveniently reached by the player or person turning the music.

It will be obvious that the holder may be readily so constructed as to take the place of the ordinary music rack or stand; also that it maybe readily secured to the rack or stand, when in use, by suitable clamps or appliances for that purpose.

Instead of the straps K weights may be used, or any other suitable springs may be employed; and instead of the clamp B any suitable means for securing the music to the body of the holder may be used.

Having thus explained my invention, what I claim is 1. In a music-holder, the combination of the following instrumentalities, to wit: a body, a clamp or means for securing the music to the body, a series of arms jointed or pivoted to the body and adapted to swing laterally, springs for drawing the arms from right to left when the arms are released, clamps connected with the arms and adapted to grasp the tops of the sheets or leaves of the music, cords attached to said arms, guide-eyes for said cords, and suitable weights or counterbalances for said springs attached to said cords and so disposed as to be within va convenient distance of the player or person using the holder, substantially as described.

2. In a music-holder, the clamp J, connected by the elastic cord or spring (1 with the rod h, in combination with the arm E, substantially as described.

3. In a music-holder, a clamp adapted to grasp the top of the sheet of music, an arm jointed to a fixed portion of the holder and 

